MAUI POLITICAL TRACKER

Local Issue Tracker: Water Issues

Water Issues Overview

In Hawaiian culture water has traditionally been considered the source of life and prosperity. During the plantation era, large landowners controlled vast quantities of water to irrigate monocrop agriculture, and today water lies at the heart of a number of social and ecological issues on Maui. The future of island agriculture and food security, as well as the patterns of rural and urban development will all be determined by the allocation of water. The health of freshwater ecosystems will depend on restored stream flow, as will native food gathering practices and taro cultivation.

For a detailed overview of water issues see the Local Issues section of the website. The Political Tracker section is a place to monitor the ongoing actions of the multitude of governing bodies that address water issues. Water issues are addressed at the federal, State, and County levels by multiple committees, commissions, boards and agencies. At the County level alone there are the Water Resources Committee of the County Council, the Board of Water Supply, and the Department of Water Supply, as well as various water/irrigation companies, and watershed management councils.

The intent of this section of the Tracker is to gather in one place information that would otherwise be scattered and overlooked. This information can then be used to guide strategic involvement by those who want to see Maui's waters used wisely and protected for future generations. This may take the form of new legislation, citizen campaigns, educational efforts, or ballot initiatives.

Toward True Democracy

Are you concerned about the state of political affairs at the local level and beyond? Are you drawn to do something about it? The Local Political Tracker is a collaborative tool for informing ourselves and each other, and reclaiming the democratic process. By monitoring key local issues and elected officials we can promote more transparent, accountable, and effective governance. True democracy requires more than just voting. It depends on an active and informed citizenry, and each one of us can do our part.

The Political Tracker concept is simple: as a volunteer you agree to monitor, or "adopt" one or more local issues, government bodies, or elected officials. You gather information, either by attending meetings, reviewing meeting minutes or video footage available online, summarizing news articles, or conducting interviews. You then post your notes via the Data Entry form below.

TRACKER DATA ENTRY FORM (for registered Tracker volunteers)

To post information to the Political Tracker one needs to first complete the volunteer registration process:

Wait for email notification that your Volunteer status has been activated.

water issues TRACKER POSTS

Listed below are local Political Tracker posts -- notes collected and entered by community volunteers. Posts are arranged chronologically, with the most recent post at the top of the list. Clicking on the purple post title will open the post in a separate window, and from there any registered site user may comment on the post. The Issue Tracker is meant to provide factual information, and sources can include news articles, meeting minutes, interviews with experts, etc. The Community Forum section of the website provides a space for open discussion on water issues.